Why does my water look dirty, taste funny or smell weird?

A sudden change in the rate or direction of water flow through pipes can stir up natural sediment.

This can happen during planned maintenance or emergency repairs. Our crews flush water mains once the works are complete.

If the water runs clear at your front tap near the meter but looks dirty inside your home, the cause may be corrosion in your internal plumbing.

What you can do:

• Check the outages map for any works or emergencies near you
• Run the outside tap closest to your water meter until the water runs clear (about five to ten minutes)
• Repeat this with a tap at the back of your property
• Contact us if the water is not clear after flushing

If your water looks dirty, avoid using your dishwasher or washing machine as it can stain clothes. If this happens, you can submit a discoloured laundry claim form.

Air trapped in pressurised water pipes can form tiny air bubbles, giving the water a cloudy or milky appearance.

This can happen during planned maintenance or emergency repairs. Our crews flush water mains once the works are complete.

What you can do:

• Check the outages map for any works or emergencies near you
• Fill a clear container with water and let it sit for ten minutes. It should clear as the bubbles rise to the surface
• Contact us if the water does not clear after settling

A small amount of chlorine is added to the drinking water supply to keep it safe and disinfected. Sometimes you may notice its taste or smell more than usual.

What you can do:

• Fill a clear container with water and let it stand overnight. Any residual chlorine should dissolve naturally
• Add a small amount of freshly squeezed lemon juice to the water. The ascorbic helps neutralise chlorine and can improve the taste
• Contact us if the chlorine smell is very strong or appears suddenly

Sometimes naturally occurring organisms in our dams can cause an earthy or musty taste or smell. When this happens, the entire water supply may be affected and flushing will not help. You can visit our Geosmin and MIB page for more information.

These tastes and smells can also come from a build-up of sediment or organic matter in the water network, or within your property’s internal plumbing. In these cases, flushing your pipes may help.

What you can do:

• Run your tap for a few minutes to flush stagnant water

• Contact us if the taste or smell does not improve after flushing

A metallic taste in your tap water usually means iron or copper are present. This is most often caused by corrosion in household copper plumbing, which can also leave blue-green stains in basins, sinks, showers or toilets.

It can sometimes occur in new houses with new copper pipes but will usually reduce over time.

What you can do:

• Flush the affected tap for about two minutes to clear the water in the pipes
• Contact a licensed plumber to inspect your pipes for corrosion and replace them if needed
• Use a lemon-based cleaner containing citric acid to remove any stains

Household plastic pipes laid underground can sometimes absorb petroleum-based products if these have leaked or been sprayed on the ground nearby. This can cause water to smell like petrol, kerosene or paint.

What you can do:

• Make sure chemicals such as paints, solvents, petrol and kerosene are used and disposed of properly
• If these substances have entered the soil, you may need to remove and safely dispose of the affected soil near the pipes